Life-saving device for ocean vessels.



A F. BoHN. LIFE SAVING DEVICE FOR OCEAN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG|I01I9I6 Pantewmy 15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

,Illa

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

I". BOHN.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE FOR OCEAN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I0, 19I6.

vPatented May 15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 W Zai/enten FRANK BOI-IN, 07F CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-SAYING DEVICE FOR. OCEAN VESSES.

Application med August 1o, reis. seriai No. 114,2861" To allaotom t maykconcern:

Be it known that 1, FRANK BOHN, a citi.- Zen of the United States,residing at Ches ter, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lite-Saving Devices 'For Ocean Vessels, ot which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in ships wherein a float isarranged upon or carried by the hull of the ship and isv adapted to bereleased or separated from the hull, upon the sinking of the hull.

An important object of the invention is to provide means whereby thedetachable float will not bind or jam with thev hull to prevent properseparation, and the float will remain substantially vertical, duringsuch separation.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means tending toseparate the float and hull, and to overcome the downward suction uponthe float due to the sinking of the hull.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be apparent duringthev course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designatel like parts throughout thesame,

Figure l is a sideelevation ot a ship embodying the invention, n

Fig. 2 is a detail section through the loat and hull, showing a lockdevice,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the float and hull showingthe 'Float in the act of being separated from the hull, and,

Fig. 4- is afragmentary horizontalsection through the hull and lioatwith the float in the normal position.

1n the drawings, wherein for the purpose ot illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the hullot a ship or boat. As shown in Fig. 1, this hull is provided with a pairof compartments 6, open at the top.

Each compartment has its four walls equipped with rails 7, which aregenerally upstanding and curved longitudinally, as shown. These rails `7are rigidly attached to the side walls and bottom 6 of the compartmentby any suitable means. Rotatably mounted within the rails 7 are rollers8. The rollers of one wall have their inner SpecificationI of LettersPatent.

Patented May i5, lair.

contacting sides arranged in the arc of a circle, whose radius has itscenter in a line drawn through the upper ends of the rails of theopposite wall. It is of course understoodV that this arrangement is thesame for the rollersv of each wall. The rollers 8 constitute thecontacting surfaces of the compartment.

rllhe numeral 9 designates a lioat of any well known or preferredconstruction, having anupper portion 10 and a. lower portion 11. Thelower portion of the float comprises side walls 12 and a bottom 18, withan upper false bottom 14, as shown. yThe walls 12 are curved verticallyand are cut on arcs which are concentric with the arcs defined by thecontacting inner faces of the rollers S, vit being understood howeverthat the arcs of the side walls 12`have a slightly smaller radius thanthe arcs of the rollers. It is thus apparent that the lower portion 11of the float is contained within the compartment (i and may be readilyremoved therefrom. As shown in Fig. 3, as the hullA 5 tilts whensinking, by virtue of the arrangement of the rollers 8, andthe curvatureof the side walls 12, portions of such side walls remain permanently incontact with the oppositely arranged sets of rollers, thus preventingany undue horizontal movement of the float with respect to the hullwhile the float is maintained vertical. This prevents any jars whichmight tend to destroy the float, and the float is free toseparate vfromthe hull* without liability of jamming.

Rigidly mountedwithin the lower portion 11 oi the float 9 is a verticalbearing 15, within which is mounted to rotate a vertical shaft 16 drivenby any suitable means. To

the lower end of the shaft 16 is secured a downwardly directed propeller17, operating in proximity toy an opening 18. This opening communicateswith horizontal passages 19 having communication with openings 20. Thefunction of this propeller is to draw water through the openings 20 andpassages 19, and discharge the same through the opening 18 against thebottom 6 of the compartment 6, thus tending to separate the float fromthe bottom and to elevate the float, for overcoming -downward suctionaction due to the sinking ot the hull.

1n order that the iioat may remain seist curely attached to the hull 5when it is not one rack-bar being preferably arranged at each corner ofthe `float. The rack-bar 21 is adapted to slide beneath a bar 22 carriedby the hull 5. Therack-bar 21 is moved by a pinion 23, rigidly attachedto a vertical shaft 24, turned by a hand wheel 25.

In operation, when the ship is sinking, an attendant is stationed ateach corner of the float, and at the proper time actuates the hand wheel25 to draw the 'rack-bar 21 from beneath the bar 22. As the hull 5descends in the water, the ioat contacts with the water andis graduallyseparatedtrom the hull; such separation taking place irrespective ofwhether or not the hull is inclined transversely or longitudinallyvertically upon sinking. rl`he propeller 17 is set into i action duringthe sinking ot the hull, and

by drawing in water through the passages 19 and discharging the same tothe opening 18 against the bottom 6, serves to move the float upwardlyand separate the same from the hull, also rtending to overcome thedownward pull due to the sinking of the hull.

It is to be understoodthat the forni of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim 1. The combination with the hull of a ship having a compartment inthe upper portion v thereof which has its upper end open, of a iioatlocated in the compartment, and a downwardly directed propellerconnected with the lower portion of the iioat.

r)lie combination with the hull of. a ship having a compartment in theupper portion thereof which has its upper end open, of a Hoat located inthe compartment and provided in its bottom with an opening and channelsfor supplying water to the opening, and a downwardly directed propellerconnected with the float and arranged in proximity to the opening.

3. The combinationwvith the hull of a ship having a compartment in thetop thereot which has its upper end open, of a float located in thecompartment and having an upper false bottoni and a lower bottom, thelower bottom being provided with a water discharge opening havingcommunication with water supply passages, a downwardly directedpropeller arranged between the upper false bottom and the lower bottomin proximity to the opening, and means to rotate the propeller.

4i. The combination with the hull of a ship provided in its upperportion with a compartment which has its upper end open, saidcompartment having the contacting portionsl oi, each side wall thereofdisposed in the are of a circle, the radius of which has its centertaken Vat the upper end of the opposite wall; of a float arranged withinthe vcompartment and having curved side walls to coperate with thecontacting portions of the compartments, the curved side walls beingtaken on arcs which are concentric with the first named arcs.

5. The combination with the hull of a ship provided in its upper portionwith a. coinpartment which has its upper end open, of rollers secured tothe sides of the coinpartment, the contacting inner surfaces of therollers or each side defining an arc `of a circle, the radius of whichhas its center til'en at the top ci the opposite side; of a iioatarranged within the compartment and having curved sides to coperate withthe rollers, the curved sides being taken on arcs which are concentricwith the first named arcs. f

ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK BOHN.

Witnesses R. L. Morini, DELAWARE KINLEY.

Copies o this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

